


Retreat

by ZeGabz



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: F/M, Mystery, retreat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-03
Updated: 2013-06-03
Packaged: 2017-12-13 20:32:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/828575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZeGabz/pseuds/ZeGabz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Petty Officer with mob ties is murdered while at a couples' retreat. Kensi and Deeks are sent in undercover to uncover the truth behind his death. But can they stay on the top of their game when the lines between their aliases and themselves are blurred?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, my first leap into crime drama television. Whoohoo! Well, this summer I needed a little writing project so I decided to tackle television. I've been a fan of NCIS: LA for a while now so I'm excited to be getting into the fanfiction community here. I'm sure this has been done already, but hey, figured I'd give it a try.
> 
> Well, this story will be set tentatively after Neighborhood Watch, but don't count on it being a decent prelude to Sans Voir. It should be about 5-7 chapters, so keep your eyes peeled! I should update every 5 days or so.
> 
> And lastly, I did a little research, but I made up this crime myself so don't expect it to be a masterpiece murder.

"Why do you think you are here?"

Kensi glances over to her partner, who chooses to look over at her at the exact same moment. He nods at her to answer first. She bites her lip for a moment, thinking. Be as honest as possible, Callen told her, the therapist will see right through anything fake.

"We have issues," she finally answers simply, her gaze still interlocked with the ocean blue eyes of her partner. The corner of his mouth twitches upwards slightly at that.

"And what would those issues be?"

She's staring.

She knows it, and he knows it, so why hasn't she put an end to this nonsense already?

It's not exactly staring, she tells herself. It's just . . . repeated glancing. Yes, that's it. Repeated glancing.

"Kens, is something wrong?" She looks up from her paperwork and damn, she had just begun to develop some sort of focus on it.

"What do you mean Deeks?" she sighs, attempting to focus on her paperwork again. Deeks grins widely.

"You've stopped staring. My hotness too much for you to handle right now?"

"Consider yourself lucky you don't sit next to me, or I would-"

"Spank me?" he snickers. Kensi's eyes widen.

"Shut up, Deeks." But he's having way too much fun to stop now, and she knows it.

"It's alright Kens, I mean you can spank me anyti-"

"Ms. Blye and Mr. Deeks." Deeks stops mid sentence and closes his eyes. Kensi bits her lip to keep a laugh from escaping. Hetty is standing at the front of the bullpen, her face showing how much of their conversation she overheard. "You have a case."

"Lack of professionalism at work, for one," she says, giving Deeks a pointed look. He simply smirks back at her. "And he cannot take me seriously."

"I see. And would you say your main problems are at the workplace or at home?"

"I can answer that," Deeks cuts in. Kensi raises a challenging eyebrow at him. "She can't seem to distinguish our work partnership from our actual relationship."

"Says the man who flirts when we're supposed to be on the job!" Kensi mutters, shooting a searing glare at Deeks.

"Says the woman who won't let it go when we get home," he fires back effortlessly. Well, that's partly true. Have to maintain some sort of cover, she supposes.

The therapist cuts in. "Okay, let's calm down now. What we have here is a foundation to work on. Now, have you ever tried talking about these issues?"

Oh. Awkward.

That's interesting.

Kensi can't help but look over at Deeks, who is now wearing a semi-serious frown. Their minds are likely on very similar paths.

They never talk.

They dance on the boundaries of their partnership and never discuss them ever again. That's them.

Their partnership.

Their thing.

"We, um, don't talk," she admits quietly. The therapist leans back, nodding, looking over at Deeks for confirmation.

"She closes up on me and I don't push," he states quietly, eyes downcast.

 

_"Our victim is Petty Officer Blake Neilson, thirty-seven. Returned home two years ago after spending three years at sea. He has a wife, Callie Neilson, thirty-two, works as a kindergarten teacher." Nell pauses to pull up her file and Deeks speaks._

_"Which job is more dangerous, I wonder," he says with a playful nudge to Kensi's side. Kensi nudges him back, hard, and notes his overly dramatic flinch with a smirk._

_"The Petty Officer was found in a sauna by a couple-" Nell continues, but Deeks interjects again._

_"I'm sorry, he was found where?"_

_"In a sauna," Nell repeats. Kensi arches an eyebrow. That's odd. "The Petty Officer and his wife were at Lake Affetto. It's a retreat center for couples whose relationships are struggling."_

_"Has the wife been questioned yet? Struggling relationship, dead husband, seems pretty cut and dry to me," Kensi says._

_"Local police didn't make much progress, but they do not believe she is the killer." Nell pulls up another file. "The main reason NCIS has taken over the case is this." Up pops several documents, emails, and letters. "Petty Officer Neilson has ties to the Maggio crime family. They've been active in Chicago for around thirty years, but police have yet to find enough incriminating evidence to make any arrests. Petty Officer Neilson appears to have done some work for Joe Maggio, the family's boss, before his second deployment."_

_"Why didn't the Navy find this earlier?" Kensi asks nobody in particular._

_"Maggio is good at covering his tracks and the tracks of his people," Nell replies. She pauses when Eric enters Ops carrying two folders. He hands one to Kensi and another to Deeks._

_"Petty Officer Neilson was about to come clean. He had lots of valuable intel on how the Maggio family operated and several names to give police. He was set to meet with the Chicago Police Department after the retreat with his wife."_

_"So Joe Maggio had him killed to keep him quiet then," Deeks says._

_"We believe so," Eric says. "Which brings us to our suspect- Lucy Wilson. Thirty years old, married to a sculptor from San Diego named David Wilson."_

_"And why is she a suspect?" Deeks asks._

_"Take a look at her maiden name," Nell answers._

_"Lucy Maggio," Kensi breathes._

_"When interviewed by police, Mrs. Wilson claimed that she and her husband were having communication issues and that he was accusing her of cheating. We pulled up her phone records and it shows that she wasn't calling a lover-" Eric begins._

_"-She was talking to her father," Kensi finishes, her eyes sweeping over the numbers and records._

_"Planning murder, perhaps?" Deeks offers._

_"We think so," Nell says. "Um, open your folders."_

_Kensi does so, and is surprised to find a driver's licence, insurance papers, and pages of information on a woman named Carmen Garcia._

_A woman who looks a lot like her._

_Hetty enters Ops at that moment with Sam and Callen behind her._

_"You two will be going undercover as Christian Clarke and Carmen Garcia, and engaged work-relationship couple. You will drive down to Lake Affetto tonight, claiming that you were held up at work," Hetty states. Kensi exchanges a questioning look with Deeks._

_"Why do we have to go undercover?" she asks._

_"NCIS is hoping to find evidence against the Maggio family and also solve the murdr of Petty Officer Neilson," Callen replies, "Your job while undercover is to get close to Lucy Wilson and get to the bottom of Petty Officer Neilson's murder."_

_"Police have not yet found the murder weapon or scene of the crime," Nell adds, "We're hoping you can find those as well." Deeks nods._

_"Simple undercover op, should be easy," Callen finishes. "There's only one thing that might make your lives a little difficult."_

_"What?" Kensi asks._

_"You'll have to go to therapy."_

 

They leave their scheduled therapy session with his arm draped over her shoulder and her cuddled up against his side. As usual, they discuss nothing of what was said in there. Just like they didn't discuss the "cover kiss". It's easier, better that way, Kensi rationalizes.

"So sugar bear, where to?" Deeks asks. Kensi allows herself a giggle and presses a soft peck to his cheek. She chooses to ignore the shiver that runs down her spine as her lips meet the soft scruff on his cheek.

"How about the lake?" she suggests, her breath catching. She clears her throat to hide it. "I think I saw some of the ladies there." For good measure, she adds, "Christian."

Is she hiding the aftershocks of that cheek peck well? She hopes she is, or Deeks will not let her live it down.

"Whatever you want, Carmen," he replies, mimicking her tone. Kensi suppresses the urge to roll her eyes as the two continue down the footpath.

It's sunny today, she notices. If they were still back at NCIS, Deeks would probably invite her to the beach after work. He would surf, and she would sit with Monty on the beach, reading a magazine or novel and yes, watching him.

Deeks seemed like a completely different person on the waves. He was agile, graceful, and yes, with his wetsuit on she could see how in shape he was. Sometimes he would notice her watching him and do a trick. When he succeeded, she would cheer for him. Cheering was so unlike her, yet she found herself doing it every time. Must be the effect of the sun.

Many times she would find herself over at his house after his surfing. She would dig through his pantry while he showered to find something with sugar or pop some popcorn and once he got out, they would watch a movie. It was surprising how . . . normal it felt to do that too.

"Want to head back to our cabin first, babe?" Deeks asked, his arm on her shoulder moving lower to wrap around her waist.

Kensi prays he doesn't feel the shudder traveling down her spine.

The grin he's wearing tells her he does. Hetty was right, he was a cheeky bastard.

"And," Kensi clears her throat, and Deeks's grin grows wider. "A-and why would we do that?" she finally stammers out. Deeks hand curls around her waist, giving it a little squeeze. She is going to kill him later.

"Mind out of the gutter, hun-bun," he chuckles, "I just thought we could change into something we can swim in."

Oh.

_Oh._

Kensi lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Oh, well, that's a, um, good idea," she relents.

As they near their cabin, Kensi knows exactly which bathing suit she is gonna wear. She allows a smirk settle on her face.

Revenge will certainly be sweet.

 

_"Your alias will be Carmen Garcia, a paralegal who works for the law firm Reed & Lawson." Kensi nods, engrossed in her file. "Here, I'll quiz you."_

_She and Nell are going over her alias together while Kensi packs for the retreat at her home. Most of what she packs is her clothes from her whole married op, which she still hasn't completely unpacked from._

_She absent-mindedly grabs for a bra, and pauses when she picks up a pink one. The bra from his sock drawer. She purses her lips for a moment, considering, and then tosses it into her suitcase._

_"How did you and Christian meet?" Nell asks._

_"I was assigned to help him on a land dispute case."_

_"And what did he say?"_

_"He said he knew the job had its perks but I had to be the best one yet." Nell nods._

_"Good. Okay, um, tell me about yourself."_

_"I went to California State and majored in paralegal studies, and was offered a job at Reed & Lawson upon graduating."_

_"Nice," Nell says. "So, how do you feel?"_

_"About the alias? I like it." Nell shakes her head and Kensi freezes mid-fold._

_"I mean about going undercover with Deeks on this." Kensi blinks, taken off guard._

_"I, I'm fine with it. Nothing we haven't done before." Nell studies her, calculating._

_"Kensi, when you go into the therapy sessions, you can't lie. You know that right. Most of the issues you will have to discuss are going to need to be real." Kensi averts her gaze. "You and Deeks are going to have to work through actual issues you have."_

_"What are you saying?" Kensi asks, folding her arms and attempting to appear nonchalant. Nell keeps studying her._

_"I'm just saying that this op is different. The lines between your alias and yourself will be fuzzy at times. I know Hetty will give you this talk too, but I wanted to tell you as well."_

_"What's the difference?" Kensi says, trying to lighten the mood._

_"You will tell me if your feelings for Deeks go beyond being platonic," Nell says simply. "Right? I don't think you would tell Hetty that."_

_And once again, Kensi is thrown off balance._

_"I, I'm sorry, what?" Nell's gaze remains steadfast._

_"Please just tell me Kens. I promise I will not tell anyone."_

_"That's not the issue here," Kensi manages to say. No, Nell is not the problem. Kensi knows she can trust her, knows she will not accidentally slip up to Eric or Callen and Sam or even Hetty. The problem is that admitting her feelings for her partner go far beyond what is professional or appropriate means admitting it to herself._

_And she cannot let herself do that._

_"Then what is the issue?"_

_"Me."_

Kensi looks herself over in the mirror as she finishes her side braid. A smug smirk is set on her lips. Deeks will definitely enjoy this.

She is wearing a black halter bikini with a small golden ring in the middle. The bottom is fairly modest, but she admits to herself that she doesn't need to look sleazy to make her partner drool. She ties off the braid with an elastic band and grabs her cover-up, a thin dark purple dress that goes down to her mid-thigh. Slipping it over her head, she gives the mirror one more glance before stepping out of the bathroom.

She's prepared for his face when he sees her.

What she's not prepared for is the sight of him in blue swim trunks, shirtless. Her eyes roam down his tanned and defined chest, and her mouth quirks when she notices the tan lines his wetsuit leaves behind from his surfing. She should not be affected like this. She has seem him shirtless before many times. Maybe it's the angle of the sun hitting his abs in all the right places or the way his biceps are . . . no, Kensi. Stop.

_Stop._

His look matches hers, and for a moment she swears his eyes go a shade darker, as do hers. She clears her throat, breaking some of the tension that has erupted between them.

"You, um, ready to go, Christian?" she asks, composing herself as best she can. Deeks keeps staring at her, his lips slightly parted. "Christian?" Her repetition of his cover name seems to break him out of his trance.

"Um, yeah, let's go." She walks over to him and his arm goes around her waist. She tries not to dwell on how natural it has become for them. She bends over to pick up a towel and can feel his appreciative gaze on her. They make their way to a footpath that will lead them to the lake, not being able to meet each others' gazes.

"You know Carmen, it's not really fair to be dressed in something so . . ." Deeks trails off, his eyes moving down her body, peeking through her partially transparent cover-up. "Accentuating."

"Lovely choice of words," Kensi teases, "But why is it not fair that I dress up for my fiancé?"

She feels his breath catch at that. She'll pretend she didn't. Because she didn't. His breath did not catch because that statement cannot affect him in any way.

"Maybe because, um," he stammers, "Your fiancé isn't the only one who will get a look at that. Not fait to the other guys." He's usually smoother than this, Kensi notes. She doesn't know whether to be smug or petrified.

"Why, babe?" Why is she even continuing this conversation? This cannot happen, this conversation should not happen.

Deeks must have pulled himself together pretty fast because he grabs the other side of her waist and pulls her into him, his lips mere inches from hers.

_Oh my God._

"Why? Because you're all mine," he murmurs, his breath mingling with hers and making her brain go fuzzy.

It's part of the cover, that's all it is. Kensi repeats that over and over in her head as he returns them to their half-embrace and continues walking down to the lake.

"Hey Carmen!" Kensi stops and turns as Bianca Jackson and her boyfriend Craig Blakely walk to catch up with them.

Kensi remembers Bianca from her file. An exotic dancer turned ballet instructor with a unique lineage- half Polish and half Filipino, twenty-six. She has long, wavy brown hair and large blue, almond shaped eyes. She's beyond gorgeous, which Kensi guesses gets her into trouble with her boyfriend. She probably attracts way too much unwanted attention.

Craig Blakely is a high school Physical Science teacher, which Kensi finds odd, considering the background of his girlfriend. His record was totally clean, ableit a few speeding tickets here and there. Kensi wonders how he managed to find a girlfriend like Bianca.

Bianca and Craig had been the first ones to welcome them to the retreat and were very friendly people. Kensi and Bianca had talked a few times before, but only in passing.

"Going for a swim?" Bianca asks brightly. Kensi notices she too is in a swimsuit, a barely there golden bikini and a transparent black cover-up. She nods. "Mind if Craig and I join you?"

"Feel free!" Deeks says, a bit too happily for Kensi's liking. She manages to send him a quick glare before falling beside Bianca as they walk.

"So how was your session?" Bianca asks.

"A therapy session," Kensi replies simply, and Bianca laughs.

"Oh, I know, they're horrible! Even worse, they try to act like they know you!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what that hag said? She said I had trust issues and THAT was why I wouldn't let things with Craig get more serious. Can you believe it?" Kensi could, in fact, but she merely nods.

"Is that why you two came here?" she asks. Bianca nods.

"It was Craig's idea. He wants to, uh, take the next step. But I don't. He thinks I'm pulling away from him so he got me to come to this. I thought why not, might even do us some good. But now I see how stupid this whole thing is." She rolls her eyes. "Why are you and Christian here?" Kensi thinks fast.

"We work together, and it's kind of having an impact on us," she replies, startled by how nothing in that answer was a cover.

"Oh yeah, I can see how it would," Bianca says, sympathetically putting a hand on her shoulder. "You think this will help?"

"I hope it will." She decides to push her luck. "So how about Blake Neilson, huh?" Bianca's face turns somber.

"Oh, it's terrible, isn't it? I think we're all wanting to forget it, but it's hard. I don't think anyone will ever use that sauna again!" Kensi chuckles darkly.

"You think anyone here did it?" she asks innocently. Bianca looks over her shoulder and leans over to her.

"You didn't hear this from me, but I saw Lucy Wilson out late at night when Blake was killed."

"So?" Kensi says, hoping to draw more information out of her.

"So, that's not normal. And I saw them talking at the bonfire, and trust me, they did not look very happy with each other." Kensi nods.

"What time was it?" she asks as they reach the lake. "Speak of the devil," Bianca mutters. "And it was around midnight. I had been up to get a drink of water after Craig and I-um, I won't finish that sentence."

Several couples seem to have the same idea as Kensi and Deeks. Kensi notices Sheila and Amos Martin. Amos is working at the retreat as a janitor and brought his wife along with him. They often interact with couples in their spare time. Kensi likes them.

She also catches sight of the Collins'. Ashley Collins, a high society blonde woman aged around twenty-one is splashing her husband who appears to be on his cell phone with water.

And there is her target. Lucy Wilson, tanning on a towel in a forest green strapless tankini. Her husband is conversing with Amos Martin near the shore. Kensi says goodbye to Bianca and steals Deeks away from Craig, taking him over to a clear spot on the shore where she throws out the towel and sits on it. Deeks sits next to her.

"Get anything useful from Craig?" she asks.

"If you find his frustration with modern teenagers useful, then yes," he quips. Kensi laughs, unable to help herself. Damn sun is getting to her again. "You?" he asks.

"Bianca claims she saw Lucy lurking around the retreat at midnight," she reports, "She also says she saw Lucy arguing with Neilson at the bonfire."

"Interesting," Deeks murmurs, "What did Eric say our killzone was?"

"Between 10:30 and 11:30."

"So maybe she went back to get the body?"

"Maybe."

"What are you two lovebirds talking about?" Kensi glances up, and her heart skips a beat.

"Oh hello, Lucy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's useless to put in the notes I had when I posted this last summer, so I'll just let you start reading.

Deeks shifts closer to Kensi, as if to shield her from the fiery redhead standing above them. Kensi gives him a gentle nudge and he gets the idea, murmuring an apology into her hair before shifting back slightly.

"Nothing interesting," she says sweetly, smiling at Lucy. "Want to sit down?" Lucy chuckles.

"Is there room?" she asks. Without hesitation, Kensi stands up and promptly sits back down in her partner's lap. She can feel his sharp intake of breath and because she likes it, she gathers up her legs in between his and leans her head on his shoulder. His arms go around her and pull her into him. All the while Lucy watches, looking highly amused.

"I thought the retreat was for struggling couples," she says as she sits down. Kensi shrugs, inwardly scolding herself for acting so cozy with someone

"We had a good therapy session. And trust me, he definitely has issues." Deeks hold on her only tightens.

"I got most of them from you, sweetheart," he says, his breath tickling her ear. She gently knocks her head into his. He flinches dramatically.

"I think you two will be just fine," Lucy says with a smile. "So are you dating, or . . . ?"

"We're engaged," Deeks answers. Kensi holds up her hand, revealing the simple diamond ring Hetty had given her.

"It's lovely," Lucy says, holding up her hand which bears an extravagant diamond ring encircled by small emeralds. "My father gave David the money for this. Told him to count it as part of our wedding gift."

"Wow," Kensi breathes, "What does he do to get that kind of money?" Deeks squeezes her gently, his own way of complimenting her subtle approach to interrogating their suspect. Lucy fidgets.

"He's worked hard his whole life," she replies quietly, love for her father clear in her voice. "He's a, uh, businessman." Kensi and Deeks exchange a swift glance.

"Is he retired now?" Deeks asks.

"No," Lucy responds, "Although he deserves to."

"Sounds like a great dad," Kensi says warmly, glancing at Deeks, her eyes screaming _MOTIVE MOTIVE MOTIVE_. She turns back to face Lucy and feels Deeks' lips against her temple. He agrees. She's going to kill him if he keeps kissing her.

"He is," Lucy murmurs. "So, um Carmen, right? Tell me about yourself. How did you meet Christian?"

"I'm a paralegal," she answers without hesitation.

"Oh? Where?"

"Reed & Lawson. I had been working there for about two months and it was Christian's first day," she begins. Deeks interrupts.

"I was setting my stuff up in my office when I got my first case. Land dispute. Some church thought that this plot of land belonged to them and my client thought otherwise."

"So my boss comes up to me and he says, 'Okay Garcia, show the newbie how it's done.' He points over at Christian's office, which has glass walls, and I," here, Kensi starts laughing for good measure, "I get this amazing view of Christian's ass." She turns around to grin playfully at Deeks, who is staring at her with an adorably awed expression. That bit wasn't a part of their written cover story, but she thought it added a nice touch.

"Sounds like a nice view," Lucy says, tilting her head to examine Deeks. Kensi ignores the possessive leap her stomach does and laughs.

"Oh, it was," she replies dreamily. "Anyways, after seeing _that_ , I agreed."

"So she walks over and just leans against the doorframe," Deeks interjects, taking over, "I turn around, take one look at her, and I say, 'Well, I knew this job had it's perks, but you've gotta be the best one yet.' And when she smiled I knew I was done for." Kensi decides they're being a bit too warm and fuzzy for their cover.

"Too bad you can't keep that feeling going forever,"she whispers. "Working together's more of a curse than a blessing."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asks. Kensi bites her bottom lip.

"I'll tell you why," Deeks says, "Even though she's a paralegal, she is the bossiest woman I know. She makes deprecating jokes so much sometimes I don't even know if she's being serious or not. Even though I'm the lawyer, she looks down on me."

Kensi doesn't know whether she should be angry that Deeks just told their prime suspect something he should have told the therapist or grateful that he is making their cover very, _very_ believable.

"And _Christian_ can't take anything seriously," she says simply. "And he brought up an argument when we were having a perfectly good time. Good job, honey." She practically hisses the end of her sentence, her eyes narrowed.

This is not good. She shouldn't actually be angry at Deeks, who's to say he isn't just trying to maintain their cover? That's how it began after all.

Lucy by now looks extremely uncomfortable. "I'll, um, leave you two to it then." With that, she stands up and walks back towards her husband.

Kensi turns her head to look at Deeks. For a long moment they watch each other, calculating. Finally, Kensi says, "What do you think?"

"You're gonna have to specify-"

"About Lucy." She can't hide the exasperation in her tone and immediately regrets losing her patience when she sees hurt flash across his eyes. "Sorry, Deeks." She murmurs his name, almost whispers it.

"S'Okay, Kens," he whispers, his voice just as low as hers. "I think," he says, his voice rising slightly, changing the subject, "That she loves her dad a lot."

"Enough to kill?"

He considers for a moment. "Maybe." His grip on her tightens again. "She likes you, though. Give it a few days and I think you can get good intel from her."

"Me too," Kensi says, "I actually kinda hope she isn't the killer. She seems nice." Deeks grins.

"But that would make our lives more difficult," he points out. "Honey."

"Touche." She shifts awkwardly. "You gonna let me off?" Deeks grins at her.

"Gotta maintain our cover though," he quips, his grip on her now impossibly tight. Kensi purses her lips, and then suddenly has a spark of brilliance.

Should she? No . . .

Will she? Hell yes.

Ever so slightly, Kensi turns her head towards her smug-looking partner and smirks as his mouth parts slightly. She twists in his arms to face him fully and rests her forehead against his. If she wasn't so intent on getting out of his arms, she would probably be enjoying this far too much (and who's to say she isn't now?) For her own good.

"Deeks," she murmurs silkily, her voice low so that nobody would hear her use of his real name. "Do you know what I want right now?"

"I-um . . ."

"Do you know what I really, _really_ want?" Deeks' breath hitches. Kensi leans closer, closer, until her lips are tantalizingly close to his. He whispers her name, his voice rough.

" _Kens_ . . ."

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Kensi swings her arms out, dislodging herself from his arms and rolling out of his lap, laughing.

"Sucker!" she snickers joyfully as she sits back up again.

"That was uncalled for, partner," Deeks mutters, picking some sand off the ground and tossing it at her, an adorable pout on his face that _almost_ makes her regret not kissing him.

* * *

Kensi stands at the front window of the cabin she and Deeks have to share, just staring at the way the flowers blow in the breeze. She jumps a little when she feels Deeks' arms wrapping around her from behind and pulling her into him.

"You try to kiss my neck Deeks, and I will kill you." He chuckles at that, opting to rest his chin on her shoulder. It tickles Kensi slightly, she's wearing a pink spaghetti strap top and jeans so there's nothing between her shoulder and the course scruff on Deeks' chin.

"I think our cover's safe with this," he says easily. "Anything new on Lucy?"

"Nell emailed me some of her records but besides that, nothing new. We still need to find where Neilson was shot and the murder weapon. Sam and Callen can come in on garbage day and we can give them what we've collected then," Kensi replies.

"So we have two days to find the crime scene and murder weapon."

"Neilson was killed with a thirty eight, so we have that to go by. But yeah, we need to find the actual weapon so we can run ballistics. Police searched all of the buildings and found nothing before we were sent in, so that leaves the wooded area and the lake."

"We can't search the entire lake," Deeks points out.

"No," Kensi relents. "I can e-mail Callen and see if he and Sam can bring some discreet diving gear on garbage day." She pauses for a moment, pondering. "But how can we search the woods?"

"That's easy, babe," Deeks says, nuzzling into her neck, making her laugh and half-heartedly scold him. "We take a hike."

* * *

"So the bonfire was on the eastern shore of the lake," Kensi says. "Police say that there were footprints heading into the woods over there." She points to a small dirtpath.

"Looks like our killer took Neilson for a little hike," Deeks says, extending an arm to her. "Shall we?" Kensi rolls her eyes but takes his arm and the two begin walking on the trail together. It's a small dirt path, by the looks of it not used very often. Weeds are scattered through it and it's very bumpy. Kensi finds herself concentrating on simply walking just as much as looking for a crime scene.

"I don't see how breaking any bones helps a marriage," Kensi mutters. Deeks grins.

"I can." She arches an eyebrow.

"Oh? Please, Deeks, enlighten me."

"Let's say you and I are married, hypothetically."

" _Hypothetically_ ," Kensi repeats as a warning.

"Yeah, yeah," Deeks waves her off. "And you break a leg."

"Why do I break a leg?" Deeks winks, claiming it has to be her for his plan to be perfect. She rolls her eyes at that but allows him to continue.

"So you're lying in bed, your leg in pain, watching a movie."

"Titanic?" she asks, half wondering why she is playing along with this.

"No, the Avengers." She laughs.

"That movie is still in theaters, Deeks."

"Like Wonder Woman would let that stop her!" he reasons playfully and Kensi laughs, a pleased blush warming her face.

"But why The Avengers and not Titanic?" she asks.

"Because you'd be angry about not being in the field, so you'd watch action flicks to empower yourself."

"I still don't see how this helps our marriage, Deeks." He looks over at her, eyebrows raised and a huge grin on his face. "You know what I mean, Deeks." He laughs and continues.

"You'd be in our bed-" Kensi ignores the little leap her heart makes, "-eating an entire pint of ice cream. I would walk in and snuggle up next to you and because you're so sleepy, you'd wrap your arms around me and we'd share the ice cream."

"Is this an explanation of how broken bones helps a marriage or a fantasy of yours?" Kensi asks. She doesn't like how nice and possible his words sound.

"Bit of both," he quips with a grin. Kensi rolls her eyes but can't help smiling at him.

"Carmen! Christian!" Kensi is taken by surprise and trips over a root that had grown into the path. Deeks catches her and holds her until she regains her balance.

"Thanks," she says quietly. He merely smiles at her.

"It's Sheila Martin," Deeks informs her. Kensi nods in acknowledgment of his statement.

"Hold my hand," she whispers as Sheila approaches. Deeks obliges, giving it a little squeeze.

Sheila jogs down from the path, a bright smile on her face. "Going for a hike too?" she asks. "It's a beautiful day."

"Yes, we wanted to enjoy some private time before our session this afternoon," Kensi replies.

"Oh, well the trail gets kind of bumpy ahead, why don't you come back with me? I can make us some salad and we can chat!" Sheila offers sweetly, her light brown eyes glittering.

"We already had lunch, but thank you for the offer," Deeks answers.

"Oh, but I insist!"

"It's alright," Kensi says, a little firmer this time, "But thank you." Sheila seems to take the hint.

"Oh alright, but I'd come back soon anyways. It's getting hot!" she says reluctantly. With those parting words she jogs off, her ponytail bouncing up and down.

"What do you make of her?" Deeks asks once she's out of earshot. They continue making their way down the path. Kensi thinks for a moment.

"She's a bit too cheerful for my taste," she says honestly, "And she couldn't take a hint." Deeks laughs.

"What, that you wanted some private time with your future hubby?"

"Exactly," Kensi replies sarcastically, pinching his arm. Deeks suddenly stops. "Oh come on Deeks, I did not pinch you that hard." Deeks waves the comment off.

"So, about earlier." Uh-oh.

"Earlier?"

"Our cover story for how we met." Kensi coughs.

"Yeah, what part? Did I mess something up?" Deeks grins cheekily.

"No, not exactly, but you did add something." Kensi heaves a sigh. _Here we go._

"I don't know what you're talking about," she bluffs, holding her head high. They continue farther down the trail and Deeks refuses to let it go.

"The way you gushed about my magnificent ass," he teases, "Sounds like testimony that comes from experience."

"You're incorrigible, Deeks."

"So when was it, huh? When did you get to check me out?"

Kensi refuses to tell him about the multiple times she has checked him out, most recently the last time they were undercover when he told her he had his own thing going on. And when he burst in on her after her bath when she had cut her foot. Yeah, she did peek. Big deal.

"Shut up, Deeks."

"I'm not letting this go, partner," he says, his voice comparable to that of a giddy schoolboy.

"Oh yes you are!" she huffs, jogging a bit to get ahead of him. They continue on in silence, him wearing a self-satisfied smirk and her face set in a frown that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Every few minutes he comments on how it's okay if she likes his ass, or if she thinks his abs are better. She finally just begins to ignore him.

"Kens." He's stopped on the path, but she resolutely trudges ahead.

"Kens, I think I just found our crime scene." That stops her. She turns around to look at her partner who is about ten feet behind her.

He points over to a large tree and Kensi's eyes widen. The tree is covered in what appears to be dried blood.

The two make their way over to the tree and Deeks removes his backpack. Inside it are his crime scene tools- blood stain spray, evidence tags, and his camera to name a few.

Deeks snaps a picture of the bloodstain on the base of the tree.

"Looks like he was left here for a while before being moved," Kensi says. "Maybe the killer shot him then returned to the party."

"Celebrate good times, come on," Deeks half-hums. Kensi elbows him.

"Collect blood samples to send to the lab," she says.

"Hey Kens, look at this." Deeks points at the tree trunk. Kensi stands up from her crouched position and peers at where Deeks points.

"A bullet hole," she breathes.

"Looks like our killer shot and missed."

"So he or she doesn't have much experience, which means they likely were not hired."

Kensi continues looking around, collecting and bagging grass, leaves, and twigs, hoping there's still some DNA present. She manages to find a small pink bead, looks like it comes from a necklace or bracelet of some kind.

"Kens, we'll have to finish this later," Deeks says, snapping one last picture. She looks up at him.

"Why?" she asks. She wants to finish what she started and she's worried about evidence getting corrupted. Deeks grins.

"Our therapy session starts in twenty minutes."

* * *

"So, in our last session, I suggested that you two try to talk things out. Communication is key. Have you two done any talking?"

"Yes," Kensi answers as Deeks says, "No."

The therapist raises her eyebrows. "Why do you say no, Mr. Clarke?" Kensi looks challengingly at Deeks, who avoids her angry gaze.

"Because her definition of 'talking' is her ranting and me listening," he responds sullenly, finally looking forlornly at Kensi. "Or bringing up our issues in front of a complete stranger." Kensi's mouth opens in outrage. It was just a part of their cover, Deeks had to know that.

"You do not have the right to complain about me talking too much," she huffs, turning to the therapist, "See what I have to deal with here?"

"And you say _I_ always deflect the conversation back to myself," Deeks mutters. "But you know what the real problem is? She always has to be in charge."

"What?" Kensi hisses.

"First through the door, always has to drive, has to dictate the pace in our relationship-"

"You're being ridiculous."

"But wait, there's more!" Deeks adds, his voice rising.

"Are you kidding me?"

"If we're in trouble, it's _her_ who decides what to do. _She_ always has to pick out the movies we watch and oh, when we go to dinner? _Her_ choice! It's always _her her her_!"

"Alright you two," the therapist cuts in, "I want to try something."

Kensi and Deeks sigh loudly before leaning back in their chairs, staring at opposite ends of the room. The therapist stands and walks over to her desk, pulling out a plain white sheet of paper before coming back to them and sitting back in her chair.

"See this sheet of paper?" she begins.

"Yes," Deeks says.

"Shut up," Kensi mutters, annoyed still.

The therapist continues as if they had said nothing at all. "This piece of paper represents something important in your relationship. I'd like you to think, silently, for a moment on what this paper means to you. It can be anything in the world, except your engagement or kids, which you don't have so that won't be an issue."

Oh God, kids.

The mere mention of kids and the idea of kids with Deeks sends Kensi's mind whirling, and she's tempted to run out of the building now.

The therapist looks Deeks in the eye. "Christian, do you understand?" He nods. She turns to Kensi. "Carmen, do you understand?" She nods. "Now you two, look each other in the eye."

For a moment, Kensi keeps her eyes downcast, biting her bottom lip. God, why did Callen have to send her here with Deeks? This would be so much easier with him or Sam, hell, even Eric. It wouldn't have to be so damn real.

Slowly, she lifts her gaze up to look Deeks in the eye. He stares back at her evenly and gives her the tiniest of nods, as if reassuring her it was okay. She nods back, fighting the urge to look away.

The therapist picks up the piece of paper and holds it over the small round table that separates her large leather chair from Kensi and Deeks' couch.

"Okay, now both of you stand on either side of the table. When you're in place, look back in each others' eyes." Kensi gratefully breaks their staredown and stands up, getting into place as Deeks shuffles tot he opposite side. Taking a deep breath, Kensi looks back up to Deeks' bright blue eyes.

"Take this piece of paper with one hand, holding it in the center." Kensi reaches out and takes the side of the paper. Deeks does so a second after her. The therapist lets go of the paper, leaving it being held between them, and sits down in her chair. "Keep thinking about that important thing."

Oh, right, that.

Kensi racks her mind for something important, something significant from her rela-no, partnership with Deeks. Something meaningful, something that defined who they were as partners and how they worked.

Twinkies.

Oh God, is that really the best she could come up with? Kensi wants to slap herself and come up with something better, something from the bottom of her soul.

She's got nothing. Twinkies it is.

"Do you both have something in mind?" Kensi sighs and nods, suddenly remembering that she is still staring into her partner's eyes. He holds her gaze steadily as he too nods. "Good. Now, I'm going to give you two five minutes to decide who gets the paper without ripping or tearing it. You can do this with or without talking, but in my experience this works better without words."

This could be a problem.

Well, thinking realistically, Kensi knows she should have it. That's how their thing works, he gives her Twinkies and she . . . what _does_ she do? She says thank you (sometimes) or she takes them anyways . . . jeez, this makes her sound like a bad person in retrospect, but that's just how they are. She's decided she gets the piece of paper.

He raises an eyebrow. Shoot, he wants it too. Typical Deeks.

By habit, she almost says his real name, but she catches herself. "Christian . . ." Her whisper is soft, but he's heard it before. Fine, new approach.

"Carmen . . ." Cheeky bastard.

They begin a subtle war with their eyes, a staredown that Kensi knows she cannot and will not lose. She will get her Twinkie.

"Four minutes."

Has a minute passed already? Come on Deeks, she thinks, just give me the damn paper.

"Carmen, just this once," he whispers. Pleading, soft. Oh no, he is so not playing that card on her. Kensi Blye does not fall for cute and cuddly. "I'll buy you more donuts when we get home."

"I don't want more donuts." Well that's a lie. "I want the paper."

"What if I say please?"

She shakes her head, and the staredown continues. Kensi almost feels dizzy from staring into his eyes for so long, but she refuses to lose focus. Treat it like a mission, she tells herself, use your skills.

Except this isn't a mission. This is her and Deeks. Their _thing._

And this stupid retreat was a bad idea. For a fleeting moment, Kensi decides to just walk out. This therapist doesn't know her. Doesn't know them. Doesn't know about Jack or how Deeks was shot to target her or how he lied to her about shooting an unarmed man or about the way his lips felt when she kissed him while undercover. She has no right to try and figure out their thing.

Deeks can see it in her eyes and she inwardly curses him for knowing her so well.

"Don't shut down on me," he whispers, an unsaid _Kens_ hanging in the air between them. Kensi reluctantly stays rooted in place, still determined to get her Twinkie.

"Why can't I have it?" Deeks asks. Kensi rolls her eyes.

"It's not how we work."

That sounds so wrong. Is this really how they look to other people? Her, the demanding trainer and Deeks her little lapdog? No, he is not her lapdog. He is her partner.

And as her partner, he should give her the Twinkie.

"I think you should give me the paper."

"No!"

"One minute."

Okay, no more messing around. Kensi Blye wants her Twinkie and by God, she is going to get it.

"You're not giving in, are you?" Deeks asks softly, frowning.

"No," she whispers back.

"Wouldn't expect you to,"he mutters, relinquishing his hold on the piece of paper. Despite the victory, Kensi can't bring herself to smile.


End file.
